Summer Meeting
by Dilatory
Summary: Lily has always hated James. Simple. But when a meeting in the park with some old friends brings back some painful memories, her view of him becomes slightly more confused.
1. Quiet Summer

Disclaimer. I own nothing. Its all JK Rowlings.

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Lilly was bored.

She had finished all her homework two weeks ago, and it was already neatly folded inside her immaculately packed trunk. She'd been to Diagon alley twice, once with her friends, and once alone, packed, unpacked and repacked her trunk, and had taken to reading bad muggle romances in an attempt to fill the remaining 6 days until the start of term. Even the news that he had been made head girl had failed to lift her out of her lethargy.

She had written to her friends, of course, but being abroad, their replies were mostly short and a long time in the coming, much to her intense frustration.

Alice, she knew, was on holiday in France, and Marlene was staying with her grandparents in Northumbria. Morwenna was touring eastern Europe, and luckiest of all the Gryffindor seventh year girls, Katherine was in America visiting her pen-pal.

Despite this, she had a shrewd suspicion that the letters they sent to their boyfriends would be quite a bit more informative and less to the point, but she didn't begrudge them.

Alice, a small pretty blonde, had been dating her boyfriend Frank for nearly 3 months now, and despite both of their coyness and gloomy predictions ("he'll probably dump me, Its not exactly a serious relationship..."), they both cared deeply about the other.

Marlene on the other hand, was the personification of the word flirt. Her dramatic looks and alluring figure made her very popular with the boys, a position she relished. She had dated half the male population of hogwarts, and was looking forward to seeing how many more she could seduce before she left. Despite this, she was an intensely loyal friend with surprisingly high moral standards. She had never slept with anyone, and vowed she would wait until the ring was on her finger.

Katherine was different again. A pretty, outgoing muggleborn party animal, she liked boys, but preferred her friends any day.

Morwenna was the only halfblood in the dorm. Her father had married a muggleborn, and consequently been disowned and cut off from all of his pureblood family, leaving them alone and poor. However, she never let her family's situation hinder her, and was always laughing and messing around.

The five girls between them made up the 7th year dorm, and were the only halfway popular girls that didn't visibly swoon around the marauders, the seventh year Gryffindor boys, the clever, good-looking pranksters extraordinare, with half the school falling at their feet. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Petigrew and James Potter.

James.

The arrogant bullying toe rag who had asked her out every other day since third year. The annoying show-off who had never done a stroke of work or a good deed in his life. The git who was, unfortunately, Headboy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door, and her mother poked her head in, looking frazzled and frantic.

"Lily, I know its holiday and you've probably got a million and one other things to do, but I promised Sian that I'd look after Michael for the day, completely forgetting that I have a hairdressers appointment. Do you think you could take him out to the park for half an hour and just look after him until I get back?"

Lilly opened her mouth to speak, but her mother cut her off before she could take a breath.

"Of course you will, I knew you would. He's downstairs playing with his train set, you know, the one, you, 'livened up' slightly..." Lily smiled in spite of herself. There were some advantages of being of age.

"... all his stuffs in his pram, but you don't really need to use it, I'm sure he'll be fine walking. Just don't get him run over by any cars. Oh, and make sure he wears his hat. Thank you so much, if you need me, the phone numbers are on the table. Bye sweetie!" and she disappeared as fast as she had appeared.

Lily paused on the edge of her bed for a second; attempting to recover herself from the social whirlwind that was her mother. She had never met Michael before, and knowing her luck, he would be a monster like some of the other kids her mother ended up child minding. Taking several deep breaths, she steeled herself and walked downstairs.

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AN. I dont know if this is any good, and if no ones interested and if no ones interested, but if one person is interested in it enough to review and/or AA list me, I'll carry on. Hopefuly it should end up as a longer 7th year fic. :D feel free to flame it. nicely. 


	2. Meeting the Marauders

Disclaimer. JK: everything. Me: Nothing. nada. squat.

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aPadfoot: point taken. I agree. has been changed. thankyee humbly.

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"Come on Michael, shall we go and play on the slide? No, don't touch that, it's dirty. No, I said put it down. Come on, the slide's far more fun than that old stick!"

He squealed as Lily picked him up and swung him round like and aeroplane, laughing and wriggling as they spun around and around until she noticed through the blur of colour, that there was some one else in the park.

Lowing down slightly in her Michael spinning, she realised with a sickening jolt that she knew some of these people. She had gone to school with most of them.

There were some of her old friends, Mary, Charlotte and Kelly, as well as some of the more popular girls that had bullyied her; Faith, Rachel, Doris... And Sarah. She stopped in shock, as something exploded in the pit of her stomach.

Sarah.

Her old best friend. A girl she hadn't seen for 5 years. The girl that had practically been her sister. The girl she had promised she would always be with. The girl she had betrayed and forgotten about.

They were sitting on the swings, laughing, and one of the ones she didn't recognise pulled out a cigarette and started to pass it round.

Lily purposely turned away from them, guiding Michael towards the roundabout, and tried to ignore the feeling of several pairs of eyes burning holes in her back.

"Look Michael, it's a roundabout! Do you want to play on it?" She asked in what she hoped was her most authoritarian yet sweetly persuasive voice. Unfortunately, he didn't fall for it.

"Slide!" he shouted, pouting and set off as fast as he could towards the slide, which unfortunately was on the other side of the swings. He ran full pelt into the swings, fell over and started crying. Lilly swore under her breath and hurried after him.

"Shh, there there," she soothed as his sobs turned into hiccoupy sniffles. "I'm really sorry, she said, addressing the group, keeping her face turned downwards, "He wanted to play on the slide, and wasn't looking where he was going."

She briefly looked up at them, then mentally cursed herself as she saw a flicker of recognition pass across Rachel's face.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't little Lily Evans!" There were murmurs from the rest of the group as those who remembered her realised, and those who didn't asked who she was.

"Hey Lil's." Sarah was the first to speak. Her voice was quite and tired, and almost slightly regretful. A ghost of a smile flickered across her face. "How's life?"

Lilly smiled sadly. She had given up Sarah and all her muggle dreams when she went to Hogwarts without looking back once. She had never really thought about her or any of her muggle friends before. It was strange how a single encounter could bring it all back.

She had used to love dancing, ballet, and had secretly dreamed of being a dancer when she grew up, even though the practical side of her brain had told her that she never would.

She loved French and maths, and she and Sarah had made plans to university together and share a flat, her doing French and Sarah doing art. They had spent hours lying on her bed speculating about being older and having exams, and boyfriends, and discussing moving on. But whatever they talked about, they had talked about doing it together. And then Lily had received her letter and had vanished, sending only a short note to her saying that she was going to boarding school far away, not coming back, and that Sarah would be moving on alone.

"I'm good thanks, how's life treating you?" she replied.

But before Sarah could open her mouth to answer, Doris cut in.

"Isn't that nice? The little geek freak is having fun at her boarding school! How are your friends? Do you have," she paused slightly, a cruel smile twisting her lips "a boyfriend?"

There were some sniggers around the group, but she wasn't finished yet. "Wait, I forgot! A friend would distract you from your work, wouldn't it? And we all know there's nothing more important than work, do we?"

Lily could feel her face flushing and her stomach twisting as she tried to stare blandly back at the group, but Doris wasn't finished yet.

"And as for a boyfriend, well, I don't know about you, but if I was a boy, I'd run a million miles before being seen with this ugly little prude."

Crude as they were, the insults hit home, and Lily felt her stomach twist and knot, and her face get redder and redder.She cursed herself for not bringing her wand - what she wouldn't give to hex these awful, bullying laughing girls until they begged for mercy, until they were lying on the ground whimpering and begging her to...

"Oi! Evans!" Lily spun around, and the sight that greeted her made her heart alternately fill with relief and harden.

Behind her, she could hear short gasps as 7 skirts were hitched up and tops pulled down. Remus, Sirius and James were walking across the park.

She walked over and briefly hugged Remus, ignoring the surprised gasps behind her, thankful that someone had turned up and saved her from the humiliation of being bullied by girls she hadn't seen for 6 years.

"Hey Remie, good to see you! – what the hell are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

"Hello to you to, yes I had a lovely summer," mimicked James looking enviously at Remus. "how come he gets a hug? What has he got that we don't?" He and Sirius pulled identical puppy dog faces.

Lily threw them a scathing look. "Shut it Black, Potter. Not jinxing you into next Sunday is my friendly hello"

"well if you want to be like tha... hey, who's this? that was a bit quick Evans, who've you been shagging? So much for saving yourself for me.." He said loudly, smirking slightly and crouching down to the same level as Michael, who had wondered over and was peering at the three marauders from between lily's legs.

"mochel!" he said proudly as lily blushed scarlet and stammered angrily.

"well," he said dryly, not looking up, "at least you can now say that you've had two guys between your legs.

"you sick, perverted - " she began furiously, her eyes flashing, but she was cut off by a derisive laugh from behind her.

"for the first and last time, Evans," spat Rachel lazily, before turning to the marauders.

"no point in trying to teach her a good time, that geek couldn't shag a slut if she paid them. Not like us though..." she crossed her legs daintily and fluttered her eyelashes provocatively.

An ugly look came over the boys faces, particularly James. "Those tarts," he hissed angrily, striding over to them, closely followed by Sirius and Remus, completely ignoring Lily's protests.

"Hello, 'ladies'" he said sexily, in his most persuasive and charming tone, which lily knew too well. "couldn't help but over hear a remark you made about Evans there. Now, in the spirit of 'friendship'," he raised one eyebrow alluringly, "You wouldn't mind me setting things straight, would you?" The girls giggled coquetishly, which he took as a sign to continue, his voice hardening and one hand gripping his wand very tightly.

"Lily Evans is one of the best looking most popular girls in school. She's had boys chasing after her since she was 11, and the reason she doesn't sleep around is because she has standards, something I couldn't say of you. She is hardworking, clever, funny and more popular than you sluts will ever be. Leave her alone unless you want us to deal with. She's a friend of the marauders, and no one insults the marauders." He pulled out his wand, and behind him, he felt Sirius and Remus do the same. "Do you understand?" he practically hissed. The look on the girl's faces was one of complete shock, bewilderment, confusion, and a slight undercurrent of fear. The three of them gave them a final scathingly look before turning his back and walking back to Lily.

"By the way," Sirius called over his shoulder, "You might want to try wiping that slap off your face and lengthening your skirts slightly. You look ridiculous."

Lily hadn't moved, she just watched them looking slightly bemused, and only protesting minimally when James grabbed her arm and steered the 5 of them out of the playground. The moment they were out of earshot however, she round on them, her eyes flashing furiously.

"What the hell did you think you were playing at?" she hissed, practically spitting. "just waltzing in here, insulting my friends, ordering me about – and you still haven't said what your doing here! What are you playing at? I was handling it just fine!

"Fine were you?" James rose to the challenge. "Last time I saw you, you were just standing there on the verge of tears, so we come in, help you, and get yelled at! And if they're your friends, maybe you're better off without them!"

"Spying on me then Potter? She spat loudly, "I was doing FINE! I did not bloody need you to come in all knight in shining armour and rescue me! Now unless you can remember the pathetic excuse as to why you came here, I suggest you and your big head bugger off and leave me alone!" And she turned on her heel and stormed off, practically dragging Michael along with her.

Sirius breathed out slowly.

"Well," he said brightly, "that went rather well, don't you think?"

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AN. I need a beta.... any volenteers?


	3. Memories

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Disclaimer: Mine: nada. JK: everything

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AN: a review would be nice. pretty please? it would take just, what, 30 seconds? and it makes me so _happy_! I have 3. :( even a flame would be appriecianted.

I really really hate this chapter. Its crap. but I've spent so long trying to rewrite it, and I'm so bored of it, i just want to get on with the rest of the story. You get the gist anyway...

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Lily stormed home, hot tears pricking at her eyelids. She didn't know why she had got so angry, after all, all the Marauders had done was help her. It was just... she felt so

So insecure, like the bottom had just dropped out of her world. Choking down a sob, she pushed open the door of her house, dumped Michael in the living room and ran up to her room. Not even bothering to close the door, she dropped onto her bed, curled up, and cried.

She didn't even know why she was crying, she _never_ felt sorry for herself, but she cried non the less, for her lost ambitions, her lost hopes and dreams, for her best friend. She cried for the sister she had lost, for the parents who she hardly ever saw and didn't understand her, for the world which she had grown up in, yet knew was held in so much contempt by wizards. She cried for her childhood innocence and happiness, and for the first time ever, she wished that she had never heard of Hogwarts.

Eventually, she picked herself up, feeling tired and dazed and slightly repulsed with herself. It wasn't like her to wallow in self-pity. A memory suddenly lodged its self in her brain, and abandoning any other sensible plans to go and check on Michael, she got up and rooted to the back of her wardrobe and grabbed an old battered shoebox, covered in photos and stickers. Inside, it had been painstakingly decorated, with a small diary, a necklace, a stack of photos, several letters, but best of all, a pair of satin pointe shoes.

She had saved up for weeks for them, and bought them cheaper several sizes too big, but had planned to save them until they fitted her. She took them softly out of the box and slipped them on her feet, lacing them up around her ankles and relaxing in their familiar comfort. She stripped off her jeans and top, replacing them with an old pair of shorts and a plain strap top; her hair tied messily back in a ponytail. She flicked her CD player with her wand, playing something classical, a piece from Swan Lake. It had been ages since she had danced, but as she rose onto her points and began some simple exercises, she felt it all come flooding back to her. She felt alive again.

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Half an hour later, she was practising some of the harder movements, when a movement behind her caught her eye. Stopping, she spun around. James Potter was sitting on the other side of the window on his broom, a cold look on his face.

Curious, and feeling slightly guilty over how she had treated him earlier, she opened the window slightly and leant out, trying to ignore the fact she was half dressed, hot, sweaty and with hair all over the place.

"I just came to ask you what Mcgonagall set us for homework this summer." He said brusquely. "That's why we're here."

Lily took a deep breath.

"I'msorryiyelledatyouearlier." She said in a rush. A slightly bemused expression crossed James' face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get a word of that. Could you speak more slowly?"

She gritted her teeth, staring fixedly at the tail of his broom.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," she muttered. "I didn't mean any of those things I said, Its just that meeting my old friends had brought back some painful memories, and I was, well, a bit, stressed. I was out of order." She raised her eyes and looked pleadingly at him. "I was actually really glad you came and defended me. I'm sorry, I was wrong."

She held her hand out nervously.

"Quits?"

James didn't answer. A slow smile was spreading itself across his face.

"The wonderful perfect Lily Evans apologising and wanting to call it quits with the unscrupulous arrogant scoundrel James Potter?" He mock bowed. "I'm honoured."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Stow it Potter." She hissed

"Sorry." He straightened up and shook her hand.

"Quits," he said solemnly, then broke out into a smile.

"So...." He said, stretching and leaning back on his broom. "I never knew you danced," he remarked, gesturing to her dishevelled figure.

Lily smiled sadly. "I don't. It was one of the things I gave up to come to Hogwarts. I used to love it, but today has been the first time I've danced in 6 years."

James looked shocked. "You gave stuff UP to come to Hogwarts?"

Lily almost laughed at the expression on James face.

"I gave a lot of stuff up to come to Hogwarts. My friends for one, and all my lessons and ideas and dreams... dancing isn't much compared to that. Not to mention that I've completely estranged my family..." She broke off, suddenly realising what she was doing – _she was baring her soul to James Potter!_

She quickly changed the subject, blurting out the first thing that came into her head.

"Where're Sirius and Remus?" she asked, and then paused suddenly, as if realising something she hadn't noticed before.

"And speaking of which, where's Peter?"

There was an awkward pause.

"We're not actually sure," he said quickly, almost apologetically.

"He's been really quiet all summer, not answering our letters or anything, and we reckon he must have got a girlfriend."

Lily almost laughed at the mental image of the plump little Pettigrew trying to impress a girl.

"But its not like him..." said James thoughtfully. "Normally, he'd tell us. He's just gone really quiet..." he trailed off.

Lily wasn't personally too bothered by the lack of his presence. He was more of a tagger on than a true marauder, not nearly as clever or good looking, but his absence clearly seemed to bother the others, so maybe there was more to him than met the eye.

"Anyway, I'd better go," said James finally, breaking the silence. "I'll see you on the Hogwarts express, right? Save me a seat?"

"Yeah, sure," said lily absentmindedly, still pondering over the problem of Peter, before she realised what she had said.

"What th-"

"Knew you loved me really Evans - see you there!" He grinned cheekily and flew off before Lily could retort.

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AN: Pretty please? a reveiw? just to show me that there is a point in continueing this story? becuase no one seems to be interested. :(

Kris

PS. see that pretty button over there? the one marked reveiew? well, if you ju-

sorry. rambling now. I'll shut up.


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